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A Top Chef Shares Secrets of Mexican Wedding Cookies & Barona Restaurant Month

Posted in Restaurants, Slots, Table Games with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on September 15, 2010 by thebaronacasino

By Executive Chef Jim Phillips

If you’ve been looking for an entirely new way to hit the jackpot at Barona Resort & Casino, September is your month. I’m excited to say that we’ll be dishing out half-off dining discounts for entrées during Barona Restaurant Month at six of our award-winning restaurants.

 

The deal is good for up to two Club Barona members who earn 500 Club Barona myPOINTS within the same calendar day or equivalent table games play. It’s as easy as swiping your Club Barona card at a kiosk and printing out a Barona Restaurant Month coupon to earn the special! This special promotional pricing is only available for guests 18 and over.

You’ll then be on your way to taking a personal tasting tour at the Barona Steakhouse, The Plaza, Sage Café, El Rancho Grande, or the Italian Cucina while taking advantage of the 50 percent off deal. And, you can’t beat Barona’s Seasons Fresh Buffet, offering all-you-can-eat dining, where you can also enjoy the Restaurant Month pricing for both lunch and dinner.

If you decide to head over to our Seasons Fresh Buffet during Restaurant Month, don’t hesitate to try our famous Mexican Wedding cookies. These melt-in-your mouth, nutty shortbread-like cookies are hand prepared daily by our chefs. They are one of the most popular desserts at the buffet where you can also enjoy dozens of other dishes from around the world.

Barona Italian Cucina

A typical sweet served at traditional Mexican weddings, hence the name, these cookies are usually served after the wedding meal as a symbol of hope for a rich and full married life. The butter and sugar symbolize the richness of love and unity while the powdered sugar is said to represent purity.  They are so delicious they are now served a round the world at other celebrations, holidays and any day.

We get many requests for the recipe for these traditional treats.  They are one of my favorites too, and with one bite, you’ll see why. We’d like to share the recipe with you so you can treat yourself to their crumbly-goodness any time:

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Ingredients:

1 lb. Whole butter
6 oz. Powdered sugar
1 lb. 5 oz. All-purpose flour
1 lb. Chopped toasted pecans
½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

Preparation: Using an electric mixer, paddle the butter until soft. Add all the ingredients and mix until smooth. Form into small 1 inch balls and bake at 350 degrees until slightly brown. Do not overcook. Roll in powdered sugar. Recipe yields four dozen cookies.

I know you’ll enjoy the recipe for the Mexican Wedding cookies and you hope you’ll take advantage of the great deals during Barona’s Restaurant Month!

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Revisiting Tribal Traditions at Barona Powwow

Posted in Community, Events with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on September 2, 2010 by thebaronacasino

by Laurie Whitecloud, Tribal Member, Barona Band of Mission Indians

Haawka! On behalf of Barona, I am very excited to take this opportunity to share news about the 40th Annual Barona Powwow.

While many of you know Barona for our world class casino, hotel and golf course, our Tribe — the Barona Band of Mission Indians — is rooted in a history, traditions and culture of which we are very proud.

Planning the Powwow has been a project of love for me and my family, our Tribal leadership and all of the volunteers.  So, we hope you will join us this Labor Day weekend, September 3-5, to share in this history and experience unique to Native American heritage.

Powwows, or “gatherings,” have long been important to Native American Tribes across the United States and are believed to date back as far as four hundred years. It is a time for celebration when Tribal members come together to dance, sing, drum and feast.  Barona Powwow
The Barona Powwow is unique to our people and provides a special opportunity for us to connect or reconnect with fellow Tribes and all of our neighbors throughout the region.

This year marks the 40th year of the Barona Powwow. While the first Powwow on the Barona reservation was held in 1970, it is thought that the idea for our Powwow began in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when a handful of Barona Tribal members belonged to a group called Pacific Coast Indian Club.  It was one of the only Powwows in Southern California and was held at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

A group of Tribal members interested in bringing a Powwow to the San Diego region approached the Barona Tribal leadership and asked if there could be a Powwow at Barona. The Tribe agreed and the first Powwow in this region was hosted at the traditional gathering grounds, which is where the Barona Cultural Center & Museum is located today. What began as a modest gathering has grown into a three-day event with over 300 dancers and 10,000 people historically in attendance.

This year is also very special as the 40th anniversary of the Barona Powwow will be memorialized with a special new exhibit at the Barona Museum & Cultural Center. It opens on September 3.  It will showcase the photos and stories of Barona Powwow’s past including highlights of the Powwow Princesses, Little Hawk dancers, the differences between southern vs. northern dance styles and the history of this Pan-Indian tradition. Everyone is invited to attend and admission to the museum is free.

If you haven’t had a chance to go to a Powwow yet, I’d strongly encourage you to come out and visit.  There is incredible beauty and pageantry on display at the Powwow and it offers an amazing look back into our nation’s history and where it’s headed. Tribal dancers of all ages will be dressed in colorful, traditional regalia featuring decoration such as bustles, buckskin, deerskin and small metallic cones.  And, they will compete for more than $60,000 in cash prizes.

In addition to the incredible dancing, you can enjoy Native American singing and drumming.  You will also find dozens of vendors selling some our favorite foods such as fry bread and Indian tacos.  The Barona people are known for their silver jewelry so turquoise, beadwork and gemstones will also be on display and for sale.

So, if you have plans to visit Barona Resort & Casino on Labor Day weekend, we hope you’ll take some time to stop by the Powwow, get to know the Barona people on a cultural level and join us in the celebration.

For dates, times and other details about the event, please click here to visit the Barona Powwow page.

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Get Ready to Party Every Friday Night Through August at Barona’s Party Pit

Posted in Blackjack, contest, Events, Table Games with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 4, 2010 by thebaronacasino

By “Lil” Bill, Party Pit Master

Everyone around here calls me “Lil” Bill (my dad is also named Bill and he works here at Barona too) and if you’ve been to Barona Casino recently on a Friday night, you’ve probably seen me in the middle of Barona’s Party Pit action on the microphone giving away prizes, spinning upbeat music and pumping up the dealers and players.

For those of you not familiar with the Party Pit, it’s the place to be to win great prizes, have a great time and play your favorite table games. We have different themes each week ranging from pajama night to preppy to 70s disco night. You’ll find all the Party Pit staff dressed up in costumes that play up the theme.  Our players are also encouraged to dress up in costumes and may be rewarded with $25 in myfreeplay coupons if they do. If you sign up for Club Barona while visiting the Party Pit we’ll give you an additional $20 in myfreeplay. In case you missed our popular video about the Party Pit on YouTube, you can click on the screen below to view it.

I’ve worked at Barona Casino for nearly 16 years and being master of the Party Pit is one of my favorite jobs so far. One of the things I like best is the energy that is generated by the players and dealers. The Party Pit crowd is young, attractive and looking to have a good time. All night long we play great music and giveaway lucky charms, promo chips and free bets.

I have the lucky assignment to randomly select players to spin our prize wheel and give away up to $100 in myfreeplay. The best part is each of the winner’s fellow tablemates receive the same prize amount…so it creates a friendly and fun atmosphere at the Party Pit. We also have hilarious contests for our players to participate in such as who can eat ice cream or hot dogs the fastest on any given night. It’s just another fun way to give our players more chances to win.

And, I’ll let you in on a little secret. While you’re in the Party Pit, bring your mobile phone and follow us on Twitter @BaronaCasino to get the Party Pit Password, an exclusive passcode. Share the code with the dealers and you will have an opportunity to win double the amount on the prize wheel! Throughout the night, we also randomly select winners that reply to live stream Party Pit contests on Facebook.

I hope you’ll stop by and say “hi” at Party Pit. Here’s a list of the upcoming Party Pit themes:

  • 8/6 – Pajama Jammy Jam
  • 8/13 – Rave
  • 8/20 – Rat Pack Vegas
  • 8/27 – Endless Summer

We’re always looking for new ideas to keep it fresh and exciting, so if you have any suggestions, please let us know!

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Here’s the Magic Formula: You Can’t Win if You Don’t Play!

Posted in Blackjack, General Barona Info, Poker, Slots, Table Games with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 16, 2010 by thebaronacasino

by Mike Patterson, Vice President of Table Games

After rolling out our new table games progressive jackpots a few weeks ago at Barona Resort & Casino, the word around the casino is that players really believe it’s magic!

Already, we’ve had a number of winners including two guests that placed a wager on the dealer’s hand and split the progressive jackpot — over $296,000!  

What was the secret to their big win and the more frequent jackpots and more winners we are seeing in general at Barona? It’s all in the magic of new technology including the new side wager options Barona’s Magic Progressive offers. And, the progressive is available on so many of our table games – Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, Mississippi Stud, three-card poker and four-card poker – there are more chances for our players to win beyond their main table bets and on a greater diversity of games. Add in the live dealer action and you’ve got one really exciting progressive game.

You might hear us talk about technology a lot at Barona. But why does it matter and what does it mean for our guests? It’s the latest gaming technology that makes this new Magic Progressive possible.

It allows us to link several different kinds of table games together so that the jackpot climbs higher, faster and increases the frequency of winning. Creating these types of opportunities for our players to enjoy more winning moments gets me excited to go to work every day!

The main reason technology is so important is that we get to provide games and experiences that no other casino is offering. Truly, they watch us and follow our lead further on down the road. So, Barona’s players get to try everything new here first. That really keeps the games at Barona fresh, exciting and exclusive.

You’ve also heard a lot about our Loose Troop and Manufacturer’s Best slot programs. No doubt these programs have made our slots the loosest in Southern California and we are proud to work with the leaders in the industry to certify our games as the luckiest around.

Additionally, from Barona’s point of view the table games and other games we provide are also “customer certified” – yes by you! Your loyal support and patronage is proof of this.

So, if you keep coming out to Barona to have fun and want to join our growing list of winners I have one tip for you: you can’t win if you don’t play!

And, I truly believe you’ll never find a better place to win than Barona.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the new Magic Progressive. Have you won a mystery prize? Have you made any side wagers? Have you bet on the dealer’s hand? Let us know how we can make your visit to Barona the best it can be.

See you at Barona soon!

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I’m George Clark: The Waving Guy

Posted in Casino Management, Community, General Barona Info with tags , , , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2010 by thebaronacasino

by George Clark, The Waving Guy

I’m sure you are asking yourself, “What is a waving guy?” I asked myself the same question when I was offered my job at Barona. I asked, “A what?”  Well, I thought it was a crazy title but it has turned out to be the greatest job in town!

You’ve probably seen me standing at the entrance of Barona Resort & Casino waving to every guest as they turn onto Founder’s Way before testing their luck at San Diego’s loosest casino. That’s me, George Clark.  Some of you may know me as the Waving Guy.

George Clark: The Waving GuyAfter five years of working at Barona, I feel like family to both visitors and employees. So many people tell me that they feel at home each and every time they visit Barona and that my wave signifies Barona’s commitment to excellent customer service.

Before I started working as the Waving Guy, I had a long career working in various industries including contracting, public relations, security and real estate, but have finally found where I belong. My job at Barona has turned into an amazing career. Through the years Barona has proven to be an outstanding employer. Everyone that works here, including the highest authority, is friendly and approachable and makes me feel at home.

The best part about my job is meeting new people. On average, I greet about 3,000 to 4,000 guests each day. There are many visitors that stop to chat on their way in and have become some of my favorite acquaintances. Not only do I greet guests, I also answer questions about the history of Barona and often help visitors find their way when they are lost. Sometimes people even say that I am good luck and they won big at the casino because I waved to them.

I think my job is one of the most important at Barona because I create a personal experience for each visitor. I like to make eye contact with the guests to welcome them in and make them feel special. Sometimes I will reciprocate a guest’s wave or point to them to let them know that we are excited to have them here.

My position as the Waving Guy has become so significant to Barona because we are the only casino resort in the area that has a greeter at the front gate. No matter which entrance people come through, they are always acknowledged. We have six greeters that alternate around four different posts at Barona including the front and back entrances, the bus stop, garage and VIP entrance.

I believe that the idea of the Waving Guy has contributed to the casino’s reputation for warm hospitality and customer service and has made each guest’s visit unique and memorable. Rain or shine, you can count on us to be there waving to you. We’re even there during Christmas dressed in Santa suits.

I am happy that I have this opportunity to work with the people that I do. I believe that everyone should enjoy their job, and I know that I enjoy mine.

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